Outbreak results in six deaths in Tijuana and one in San Diego County

Campus nurses and principals in schools across San Diego County have been put on alert following a deadly outbreak of meningitis in Tijuana.

Since January, Tijuana has been hit with at least 17 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease, including six deaths, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. Those who contracted the disease ranged in age from 1 to 27, with the median age at 13.

Last week, a 36-year-old man died in San Diego County from meningococcal disease and a 1-year-old recovered from the disease after being hospitalized in February. Neither had been to Tijuana, but they were in contact with people who had been.

County health officials have urged schools to take precautions by educating their staffs and parents about how to spot symptoms and by providing information about the meningitis vaccine that is recommended for children and adolescents 11 to 18 years of age.

“We are following closely this unexpected increase in cases in Tijuana,” said Eric McDonald, deputy public health director. “San Diego has not had an increase in cases, but we are raising awareness. This is a vaccine-preventable disease.”

The health warning comes at a time when many families in the region plan spring break trips to Mexico to visit relatives or vacation.

Jeanne Salvadori, who oversees nursing services for the San Diego County Office of Education, said schools are working diligently to reach parents, especially those who may be traveling to Tijuana.

“This is the first outbreak of this magnitude that I have ever seen,” said Salvadori, who has been working with the county’s 42 districts to get the word out. “Because we are a border county and there is a lot of cross-border travel, we want to make sure that families are informed.”

Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis, an inflammation of the lining around the brain, and septicemia, (also known as blood poisoning), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis.

Health officials have reminded schools that routine hygiene recommendations should be reinforced at schools. For example, schools have been directed to promote hand washing and use of hand sanitizer as a defense against diseases — from the serious illness to the common cold. Since bacteria can spread through coughing and sneezing, students have been taught to sneeze or cough into a tissue or their own elbow or sleeve.

Schools have also been directed to discourage students from sharing food, beverages, eating utensils, lipstick, or lip balm since saliva can spread bacteria that causes disease.

The San Diego Unified School District, the largest in the county, has notified principals and school nurses of the health alert. The district plans to send a letter to parents by next week before spring break begins on Friday, said spokeswoman Linda Zintz.

“We are taking this very seriously but at the same time we don’t want to scare anyone,” Zintz said. “This is also a way to remind families about the vaccine.”

The meningitis vaccine (MCV4) is recommended for children ages 11 to 18. The first dose is recommended at age 11 or 12 and a booster at age 16, or within five years of starting college.

Roughly half of the children in the county who should be vaccinated for meningitis are not, McDonald said.

The county health agency is studying whether the unexpected increase in meningococcal disease in Tijuana is linked to the local cases.

Just three months into the year, 17 cases of meningococcal disease in Tijuana is nearly three times more than the city typically sees in a year, McDonald said. San Diego County reports about nine cases a year, with up to two typically turning fatal.